[CAP] [emergency] NOAA Undermining International Standards?

[Art Botterell]

Bill -

Regrettably, some vendors still rely on a built-in lack of  
interoperability to keep their customers locked in and the  
competition locked out.  The whole point of standards-based design,  
whether in two-way radios or in data systems, is to maximize  
interoperability while preserving, for the taxpayers' benefit, the  
market's natural pressure toward greater capabilities and lower  
prices over time.

Which is why it's troubling to see a federal agency adopt the same  
strategy of fielding a non-standard system (and without providing an  
open interface to other systems) in such a way as to put both  
commercial and non-commercial competitors at a disadvantage.

When FEMA first sponsored Battelle's "DMIS" product as a free federal  
substitute for commercial systems, the emergency management systems  
industry pushed back, hard.  Now it seems Battelle has found a new  
federal sponsor to push their product into every EOC.  It remains to  
be seen whether industry will respond as vigorously this time.

Myself, I'm not in industry, so I'll leave that to them (and to loyal  
customers like yourself).  My concern is for the standards-based  
architecture folks all over the world are working so hard to develop.

- Art


On Jun 1, 2006, at 6/1/06 10:07 AM, Curry, William (DCEMA) wrote:

> Art
>
> Are you aware that the District of Columba and the National Capital  
> Region
> (NCR) as well as most of the East Coast states (all from FL north  
> to include
> PA & Delaware) now using the digital EMnet (Emergency Management  
> Network).
> This system has provided us with an interoperability solution for  
> the EAS
> and AMBER systems and we are moving forward to place the WEB EOC  
> onto this
> system for communications between EOC's. At this time to the best  
> of my
> knowledge this is the largest satellite-based emergency warning and
> communications network in North America that is used by DC/ State  
> and local
> Emergency Management Operation Centers. This system is now serving  
> 14 states
> and protecting approximately 85 million people across the United  
> States.
>
> Also in conjunction with MD and VA we have installed equipment into  
> the
> command centers of the CSX Railroad, AMTRAK, FEMA FOC and the National
> Weather Service in Sterling, VA.
>
> For emergency and priority dissemination of information equipment  
> has been
> installed in all of the major radio and TV stations in the NCR
>
> A number of other states have also installed in other none State/ 
> government
> Operational Command Centers which include railroad command centers  
> etc.
>
> In meetings with my counter parts we have all have an issue with  
> all of the
> other system that you refer to in your E-mail. We have a working  
> system and
> we have the broadcasters on line with us and we do not need any  
> other system
> to interface with. If they want to send information into our system  
> we will
> consider that but we want no part in adding any other point of  
> failure into
> our proven and working system.
>
> The District, State and local emergency operations centers as well  
> as a very
> large number of our partners are moving forward with this working  
> system and
> all of the other systems are behind as you see.
>
> Also FYI
> A large number of our counter parts across the border in Canada are  
> also
> going with this system which adds to the interoperability for the  
> US Border
> States in times of an emergency.
>
> Bill
>
> ____